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Just What Grows Garden offers opportunity to cut flowers, herbs

Located halfway between Fort Morgan, Brush, but north of South Platte River on CR T.9

By DAN BARKER Times News Editor

Posted:
07/15/2013 04:07:08 PM MDT

Owner Stacey Poland runs Just What Grows Gardens in Morgan County. Those who buy shares can cut flowers and herbs each week, and others can just buy those products at the local farmers markets. (Dan Barker/Fort Morgan Times)
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Members of Just What Grows Gardens in Morgan County have fun cutting flowers and herbs whenever they like.

Owner Stacey Poland's grandmother had a flower cutting garden, and she learned to love it, she said. She was always out in her own garden anyway, so she just made it bigger and people can pay a fee to cut what they want from whatever flowers or herbs are in season.

This operation was the winner of a 2011 El Pomar Foundation business grant, which was her startup and allowed her to open the garden about halfway between Fort Morgan and Brush, but north of the South Platte River on CR T.9.

Currently, Poland grows 17 different kinds of flowers and 10 types of herbs. Those include lisianthus and Bells of Ireland flowers, which are customer favorites.

This lily is just one of the many kinds of flowers people can get from Just What Grows Gardens. (Dan Barker/Fort Morgan Times)
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Basil and dill are the hottest items in the herbs.

Customers can cut what they want and pay for them each time -- or they can buy "shares" of the garden each season.

If they have shares, they meet one time with Poland, or her husband, Bret, to learn the rules and become acquainted with the garden, she said.

After that, members can sign in, take the tools that are at the garden shed and cut what they want at the times they choose, Poland noted. For example, a flower share entitles the member to cut a big bucket full of flowers once a week for $150, which is much less expensive than any store, even discount stores. That is enough flowers for a large bouquet each week.

People can buy shares of the herbs for $75 a season or salad shares for $85.

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Salad shares offer just what they sound like, lettuce, onions, squash, peppers, chards and other vegetables that are good in salads, but can often be cooked, too.

There is a season from May through June and another during September and October.

What flowers are available varies each week as they come into bloom, Poland said.

However, people can buy flowers at the garden without shares, and she said they should think of her garden for weddings and parties.

This is one section of Just What Grows Gardens that holds flowers and herbs. (Dan Barker/Fort Morgan Times)
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They are even good for graduating seniors' photos.

She brings what she grows to the Brush and Fort Morgan farmers markets, too. The Brush market runs from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays at the Brush Grocery Kart. The new Fort Morgan Farmers Market runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays in the 100 block of West Beaver Avenue, which is just across the street from Fort Morgan's City Park at the same time as the weekly concert in the park.

However, many like to just come out alone to enjoy time in the garden. There are many butterflies, a flock of wild turkeys nearby and even a bald eagle flying overhead once in a while.

Some like to come in he evening, when it is cooler, and they are often treated to beautiful sunsets, Poland said.

People are free to bring children. The gardens have a sandbox for the kids to play in, and little Payson Poland might be playing, too. She says he helps out a lot.

Poland's garden is even more "green" than most, because she grows things that do not take a lot of extra water. For those plants that require watering, she uses a drip irrigation system. This kind of system puts water directly into the ground around plants, which means much less evaporation and less water usage.

Drought-tolerant live plants are also available. These thrive in the area with little watering. In this case, people must ask for the plants, which are in a separate section, and Poland will dig them up for them.

She grows more than 20 kinds of low-water plants such as fernbush, Pawnee Buttes sand cherry, side oats gramma, Veronica and sedums. All plants are grown in ground adapted to the local native soils and harsh winds.

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